What Happened to Belle
by MoreThanMeetsTheEye96
Summary: This is my interpretation of what happened to Belle after the events of Skin Deep. I hope you guys like it!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, here is my version of what happened to Belle right after what had happened to her in Skin Deep. Although what happened to her might be explained in season 2 (squees of utter fangirl delight) I still wanted to right my version of it. Hope you like it and please review. Also, I really suck at doing paragraphs and stuff like that, so sorry if there are huge chunks of type or very tiny ones.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that are from ABC's television series, Once Upon a Time, those rights belong to the creators, writers, ABC and all that jazz.

What Happened to Belle

"And all you'll have is a broken heart, and a chipped cup." Those last words bounced off of Belle's head as she rushed out of her 'room' and sadly, out of his life. She ran out of the castle, past the drawbridge and well into the woods before she finally broke down. All too soon, her legs gave way beneath her and she fell hard to the ground, sobs already escaping her lips.

"_My power means more to me than you."_

"_Shut the hell up!"_

"_No one can ever, ever love me!" _

"_Or is it you? This is you playing the hero and killing the beast!"_

"_True love's kiss can break any curse."_

"Shut up!" Belle screamed, pounding on the hard packed dirt and just letting herself go. There was no one here, no one to hear her screams, her cries, she would take advantage of it. Pounding her fists into the ground, Belle screamed and yelled and called out his name, but her only answer was the rustle of the trees.

Belle wasn't sure how long she sat there, pounding at the ground, scratching at it, all the while screaming and crying until eventually she didn't even have enough energy to do that. All the while, he kept floating through her mind. What went wrong? She loved him, why couldn't he see that? She just wanted to help him turn back into the man she knew he once was, and could be again. Her heart ached so much, she didn't know how she was able to stand it at all.

Somehow though, she managed to pick herself up and start to walk. Where, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she hadn't thought to take anything with her, then again, she never really had anything to begin with. An hour later, however, fate smiled down upon her as she came upon a small pub. Within her walk, Belle had began to lose hope and started to go completely numb, so she only responded with a tired sigh as she entered the warm quarters.

She hadn't even noticed how cold it was outside until she was greeted by the soft light of a fire in a hearth and a room full of hearty people drinking and laughing. The sight tugged at Belle's emotions, but she wouldn't let herself feel anything, not just yet. Walking up to a man at the bar drying off a glass, she asked "May I have a drink?"

The man looked her up and down, his hands rhythmically cleaning the glass. "You got any coins?" the man asked in response. For a crushing second, Belle realized she had literally nothing with her, save the clothes on her back. Then, a bright realization came to her. "One moment," she said, digging through the folds of her dress. Ah, here it was. Pulling from a small pocket she had sewn into her dress, a small string of gold appeared, glimmering in the firelight. Belle remembered when she had taken it, and the thought felt like a twisted knife in her gut.

_Often when she wasn't attending to one of her duties, she would sit quietly while Rumpelstiltskin weaved his straw into gold, which was always a magical thing to watch. He moved so rhythmically, his hands turning the wheel subconsciously as the straw moved through his fingers. It was only during this time that he seemed completely oblivious to the world around him, not an all powerful being, but a man doing something he loved. Once when this happened, he had stood up so suddenly that Belle __almost fell from her perch. "See something you like, dearie?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, a devilish grin that never seemed to leave his lips splayed on his face. "Um...uh...no, sir, I just..." Belle had spluttered, still quiet intimidated by the creature that was now her master for eternity. He giggled at her nervousness, obviously entertained by her apprehension of him. "It's just," she said, pulling in her courage and taking a deep breath. "It's extraordinary, I mean, what you can do with the straw. How exactly do you do it?" This only caused him to laugh even more manically. "Ah, come now and here I thought you were intelligent." Rumpelstiltskin said, causing her to gasp in indignation. "It's magic dearie, no more no less." At this, he cut a long strand from his newly made heap and handed it to her. "See," he said, putting it into her hands. "Just a lesson for you. That any ordinary thing can be turned into something completely different."_

That was the first time that Belle had felt okay around him, and other times while he was weaving, she would take just a little more. "I need to relearn the lesson," she would say. Who would've known that those small pieces of string would be of such big help now? The bartender snatched the string from her fingers, looking it up and down, examining it for counterfeit.

He nodded gruffly at the thread, satisfied, and put it into his pocket. "A room and board for three months," he said, before turning to another customer. Belle sighed with relief. So, she would have three months here to figure out what to do next.

The next few weeks were a cold blur to Belle. People would come in, she would help out Seamus, the bartender that she met her first night, with his customers, leaving her nights free to drown out her sorrows with drink, the strongest she could manage. It was her third week staying at the dingy little pub, in fact, when she met Dreamy.

Dwarves were a common group here, but Belle never really tried making conversation with them. They were always hung in big groups, very kind and social, but Belle never really took notice in them, until she overheard one talking about the one thing she understood. He was such a naive man, someone completely lost in the ways of romance. Belle had thought she had given him the right advice, telling him to be with her. His group had left in high spirits, and gave Belle just one feeling, something she hadn't had in a very long time. Hope. Her days in this place had made her completely numb to the world, the drink making a big impact on that. But Dreamy had given her the one thing she really needed. After all, if a dwarf and fairy could be together, what was stopping her from going back and trying to right things with Rumpelstiltskin? Nothing but her own cowardice. I will go see him again, Belle vowed that night as she tried to catch some sleep. It was all decided.

She had told Seamus her tale the next day, not leaving out any detail, trying so hard to find some guidance, even if it was from a drunkard. He had listened intently, asking very little questions until she was done. "Belle, hon, you're crazy," was his response at the end of her story. Belle immediately went on the offensive. "How? Because of what I did? Because I fell in love with an apparently horrid man?" she asked. Seamus shook his head grasping her hand kindly. "You don't understand. I'm saying you're crazy because you are." She began to argue again but he shushed her. "People who believe in true love are insane. Right fools, mind you. But, if you really believe that you love him, and that he loves you, than you're my kind of fool. I'll help you with packing." Belle looked at him with surprise, happiness tainting her sallow cheeks. "You will?" Seamus nodded, and she jumped from her seat and gave him the biggest hug she could manage.

"All right, all right, easy there, girly," Seamus said, patting her on the back. They agreed that she would leave in a week, giving her enough time to actually let her plan sink in and get ready. She would stop the drinking for now, and put some color in her cheeks by eating real food. "We want to make you look good for your fella, don't we?" Seamus said in the days to come. Belle hadn't felt this good in a while, good enough that even the withdrawal from drinking hardly affected her. She was going back, and confront him, make him see reason. He deserved a happily ever after, and she would help give it to him. Belle spent her next few days staring outside and dreaming about the one person that mattered to her most.

She had practiced what she would say to him, what she would do. She would explain what she had done, even if it meant shouting through a dungeon cell. She would profess her love, truly and unconditionally. She would tell him about Dreamy and Nova and how if two people so different could be together, could find happiness, then why couldn't they? Then, at the last possible second, she would say something completely off her rocker that he would have to admire it. Belle would say that he owed her a story. She had made a deal with him, and he was going to keep his end. Belle smiled at the thought. She would make him see, that's all she wanted. Belle was ready.

However, the night before she was to leave, everything went wrong. It was late, but there were still plenty of late nighters out, and Belle was helping lend a hand before she left, dawdling inside the warm and homy pub. Now that the time was upon her, Belle was a little reluctant to leave the warm insides of the pub into the unknown. Over her time here she had made a few friends and had felt like a person again, the thought of seeing Rumpelstiltskin sent a shudder through her, and she was unsure of whether it was a good one or not. Trying to avoid the many prospects, Belle began to look at everyone and everything in the pub, drinking it all in.

She noticed that a group of dwarves had stopped by for a pint, and Belle looked around expectantly, hoping that this would be Dreamy's team and she could tell him her good news. She recognized some of them from his team, but he seemed to be missing. Curious, she approached the one she was most familiar with, a kind yet sneaky little dwarf dressed all in black. "Stealthy, right?" she asked the small miner. He gave her a smile and nodded. Belle gave a smile and sat across from him."Well, where's Dreamy? How did it go with him and Nova?" Belle asked, bursting with suspense on what had happened with the two lovebirds.

Her question seemed to cause the entire group to darken, the joyous laughter diminished by her words. Stealthy's eyes looked downcast, staring into his cup. Belle looked at him in confusion, wondering what she had done to upset him so. "You don't know," Stealthy said. It wasn't it a question.

"About what?" Belle asked. Stealthy took a deep breath, along with a generous swig from his cup. "Everything went wrong, miss. He followed your advice, but something went terribly wrong. He was going to run away with her, Dreamy was, but he came back, and something changed in him. He wasn't Dreamy anymore. He broke his axe. Do you know what that means?"

Belle just gave him a blank look. Stealthy sighed. "It means that Dreamy wasn't Dreamy anymore. When we get our pickaxe, it tells us who were are. He destroyed his and his new one named him Grumpy. It's who he is now." Belle gasped. Surely he was mistaken. "Show me," she commanded. "Take me to Dream- I mean Grumpy and let me see for myself."

This led to Stealthy looking even more distraught. "What?" Stealthy shook his head again, despair plain on his face. "Well, sometime after that, Grumpy was caught with stolen jewels. We all knew that he was innocent and that there must have been some mistake, but King George wouldn't have any argument on the matter and locked him away in his dungeons. He's a prisoner." Belle's mouth gaped open, her eyes stinging with tears. "But it's okay, I'm going to break him out soon," Stealthy continued, but Belle hadn't even noticed.

"No," she said, pushing herself form the table. Stealthy looked up at her, concern etched on his features. He stood up and started to go towards Belle, but she just pushed away from his outreached hands, tears coming towards her eyes. "No...they were going to be together," Belle said, looking into the dwarf's eyes. "They were in love. It was supposed to work." How could so much have gone so wrong? She had just seen the dwarf what was it, a month maybe? How could in a blink of an eye, her entire reason for leaving be destroyed?

Belle couldn't believe it, the one thing that had given her the strength to go back, to confront her fears, was complete rubbish. Her words had meant nothing, in fact, they had probably helped in the imprisonment of an innocent dwarf. All of this was too much.

Belle could already fell her body begin to shut down, same as when she left Rumpelstiltskin's castle that awful night. Her plan was ruined, her confidence gone. What was she to do now? Her question was answered however, by the doors of the pub swinging open and two guards appearing, uniforms she recognized from her father's kingdom. A man was with them, pointing at her. He was saying something, but she couldn't make it out, she had gone too numb from what the dwarf had said. The guards began to approach her, one of them looking at her strangely. Was that fear in his eyes? Belle could only question the strangeness of what was going on before she fell into blackness.

A/N: Ooh, what has happened to our brunette heroin? Read on to find out! Hope you guys will like it and please review, I crave reviews, especially long ones! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, chapter two. What has happened to Belle?

Disclaimer: Do not own any of this but I do take credit of epic writing skills.

She was in a carriage, the rolling of the wheels and the bumps making Belle fight the urge to vomit. Maybe Seamus could give her something for the nausea. Seamus, she thought, trying to bolt upright but almost immediately fell back, doubled over in pain. The pub, the dwarves, Dreamy, or was it Grumpy now? Then, the guards, the man and than nothing but blackness. It was than that she heard the voices.

"Hey, she's coming to," one voice murmured, Belle was unsure where. All her senses were jumbled and everything ached. "We're almost there, she can hold on till we get there," another voice said, gruffer than the other. These must be the guards that had found her in the pub. But if they were from her kingdom, then what had happened in the pub. What had caused her to faint? Belle pushed the concerned thought away trying to make out what they were saying.

"You don't know that," the softer voice said, fear tinted in his words. "She could be like him now, we're not sure what we're dealing with. It could be a trap to get into the castle and kill us all." The man's voice was getting more heightened with emotion. Who were they talking about? Who might be dangerous? "Fine," the other voice said. "Give her another hit." At this, she took a breath of something that was vile, and sleep welcomed her again.

Belle awoke to loud voices and a pounding in her head. Opening her eyes, she was only welcomed with harsh sunlight. How long had she been asleep? Slowly the thoughts of the last night started to come back to her. Remembering the blurry carriage ride, she slowly tried to move her head. Unlike last time, there was no pain except a massive headache much like the first time she had tried drinking at the pub. This she would be able to manage.

Testing the rest of her body, Belle could tell she was laying down, and was in a bed, much softer than anything she had slept in for a long time. Voices seemed to be coming from far off, muffled somewhat, probably by a door.

Belle couldn't quiet make out what the words were, but she could tell it wasn't a happy conversation. Slowly pulling herself up, careful of her swimming head, she looked around the room. When her eyes adjusted to the harsh light, Belle gave a quiet gasp as she looked around the room. The bright, fancy furnishings, the fireplace, the ornate bedposts, she was in a bedroom she was very familiar with.

Often in the first nights with Rumpelstiltskin, she would imagine her old bedroom from her home and tried to pretend she was there, instead of the gloomy dungeon she actually resided in. She was home. Struggling to get out of the blankets, Belle moved from the bed on two unsteady legs. She took a few practice steps. Apparently whatever they gave her hadn't gotten rid of her ability to walk.

Using her bed for support, she began to walk towards the large wooden door of her room, making sure to take slow, small steps so she wouldn't fall. In what seemed like an eternity, she wrapped her hand around the cold metal knob and turned. The door creaked open and the two people who's voices she had earlier were revealed. One was some anonymous palace guard, but the other, the other was someone she never thought she would ever see again.

"Father?" Belle croaked out, unsure if what she saw was real or not. Her mouth felt as if someone had filled it with cotton. What had those men given her? When was the last time she used her voice?

Their stood Maurice, turning with a surprised look on his face. Forgetting about her weakened state, Belle made a quick motion to hug her father, her legs giving away at the sudden action. The guard grabbed her before she hit the floor, supporting her as she tried to stand up again.

"Belle," King Maurice said, a painful look in his eyes. Trying to clear her throat, Belle managed to get out another sentence. "I thought I would never see you again," she managed to squeak, tears coming to her eyes. Oh, how she had missed her father, missed everything about the castle. Even Gaston was a pleasant thought.

Belle reached for her father's hand. After a moment's hesitation, he took it and pulled her into his arms. Belle could feel her father shaking, tears falling from her eyes. His embrace was so warm and full of love, protective, something she had really needed. Belle was so wrapped up in the shocking sight of her father, she hadn't realized that her father was saying something. "I'm so sorry. Belle, I am so, so, sorry," her father said, holding his daughter in a solid embrace. Belle hugged him back, feeling her strength slowly fade. "I've missed you, Father," Belle whispered, before everything faded away.

Belle awoke to the sunlight streaming in her window and the birds singing somewhere outside. Her headache was gone, as well as her scratchy throat. Belle took a moment to fully grasp what was happening. She was home, her father was in the same castle as her. The realization took a moment to sink in. She wanted to get out of this room, the luxurious space feeling more claustrophobic than any point in time she was in her cell.

Throwing back the blankets, Belle looked around her quarters. Everything was exactly as it was before. Nothing had changed. Smiling, she threw open her wardrobe and pulled out a simple pale green garment. It wasn't a dress she would usually wear around the castle, too simple, but she had realized that simpler dresses were by far better. She brushed her hair and tied it behind her head, putting on simple white flats. Putting her ear next to the door, she heard the stirrings of guards on the other side. She did not want to deal with guards, escorts, or protection of any kind. She just wanted to explore the kingdom she hadn't seen in what felt like forever. Looking around, Belle tried to figure out how else to escape her room. As a child she never really tried to go gallivanting off, choosing to spend her time reading the books that lined her walls. In fact, she had never felt any urge to go exploring, but now things had changed. The window caught her eye. She knew that her room was far too high up to jump, but a look couldn't hurt.

Pushing open the glass panes, Belle took a deep breath of fresh air, letting the cool wintry air causing her to shiver in delight. Wait, wintry? Belle looked all around. The grounds were covered in a slight frost, not yet snowing, but close. Had she been really gone for an entire year? It had seemed so much shorter, and yet, completely too long. Shaking her head, letting the chill clear her head, Belle looked around for some form of escape. She noticed that all around the walls of the tower, vines grew, filling in cracks and few flowers still clung to the plants. The cold temperatures had hardened the plants, making them seem sturdy enough. Belle gave a harsh tug on a particularly thick vine, and sure enough, it held.

_Okay, you can do this, you fell from a ten foot window, you can scale a few vines_, Belle thought, already knowing she was delaying the inevitable. No, she thought, shaking her doubts from her head. Belle was not going to cower at the thought of a little fall, not when freedom was the prize. Taking in a deep breath, Belle gingerly began to climb out the window. Her shoes were definitely not made for climbing, but the vines were sturdy, and seemed to support her weight as she sat on the sill.

The moment of truth. Quickly, Belle turned around and dropped a few inches, her hands grabbing for the vines. To her relief, they held on, and she began her quick descent down to the ground. In a matter of seconds she had scaled down and when her feet touched solid ground, Belle let out the breath she hadn't even noticed she was holding. A cool breeze tickled her face, ruffling her curls. For the first time ever, Belle was free. A happy feeling washed over her, something she thought she would never feel again. With a smile beginning to form on her face, Belle walked into the kingdom.

Winter had just set in, still warm enough for people to be out and about instead of cooped up in their cozy homes. Belle could hear the children and men and women talking and laughing, enjoying the frigid air. Belle grinned in anticipation. She hadn't seen anyone from her own kingdom in an eternity. She couldn't wait to see the faces of the baker, the book owner, and Gaston. Usually he would be in the square, showing off his latest kill. She walked into the village, a smile on her face.

She was welcomed by the sight of her people, laughing and chattering away, everyone safe, peace seeming to finally fall upon her destroyed land. But in this new land, filled with peace from the Ogre Wars, people were smiling, and enjoying life. Overcome with relief, Belle ran up to the blacksmith's wife, Lana.

She was a pleasantly plump woman, a cheery face, and always caught up in the village's latest gossip. "Lana, so good to see you. How are the children?" Belle called out, her words causing the woman to turn around from two of her children terrorizing a chicken. The woman's wide grin fell in an instant upon seeing Belle's face. Belle understood the woman's reaction. "I came back, Lana. Rumpel-" the name caught in Belle's throat. No, too painful. "He...he let me go. I don't understand it but..." Belle had just reached Lana when the kind woman backhanded her, sending her tumbling to the ground. "Devil's mistress," she said, spitting on the ground next to Belle's crumpled form. Shocked, Belle struggled to her feet, her hand moving up to her cheek, burning from the hit.

"Lana," Belle said, complete confusion etched on her face. But Lana had already retreated into her house, slamming the door shut and pulling the blinds closed. Belle just stood there, her mouth opened in shock and her hand still on her face. What had caused this attack? Lana was always a kind woman, practically a mother to her when she was a younger girl, so why had she acted so violently? Straightening up, Belle moved on, the slight sting on her face some punishment she wasn't sure she deserved. Walking farther into the town, Belle noticed something off about the people. It seemed eyes were following her, and not in welcome. She wasn't exactly hiding from people, so why wasn't anyone welcoming her back in open arms? Everyone was kind here, never a cruel people, but it seemed that they were being cautious of her.

She had just reached the fountain that marked the center of the square when the quiet bubble around the town burst. "What are you doing back here?" Tanya, the baker's daughter of twenty asked, accusation burning in her eyes. "Came to curse us have you?" Timothy, the schoolteacher asked as well. "I don't understand..." Belle began, suddenly aware of the present danger, but not sure why it should be dangerous. These were her friends, why would they seem to seek to hurt her? The baker spat at her, disgust written on his face. "We don't want you here, filthy harlot, go back to the hole you crawled out of."

"Yes, go back to that evil conniving wretch, that demon, we don't want you here!" People were yelling obscenities at her, spitting and advancing. "Please, what are you talking about? I don't understand." Belle pleaded with them, but this only angered them further. "You killed him, didn't you! Did you laugh as Rumpelstiltskin tortured him, as he breathed his last breath, or did you choke it out of him?" the baker yelled, everyone else following his lead.

"Murderer!"

"Harlot!"

"She-devil!"

The names came pouring at her, Belle's eyes stinging with tears. She tried to yell back, to explain that she didn't know what they were talking about, but they never listened. Where was her father, the guards, Gaston? She had only a second to call out his name before the fists came upon her, showering her in pain. She was on the ground, her hands trying to cover her body unsuccessfully. Blow upon blow struck her, hitting anywhere they could connect. Belle remembered Rumpelstiltskin's name escaping her lips as she was lifted onto something, her father's voice coming from somewhere a million miles away. And for the umpteenth time, Belle's perfect world was greeted by darkness again.

A/N: Well this is a strange turn of events wouldn't you say? Read and review please, I thrive off of it!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: That's right folks, I'm back and better then ever, absolutely flowing with ideas (and writer's block) and am so sorry you guys had to wait a whole summer before I updated. And this chapter seemed really hard to do, I struggled with it a lot, typing and retyping so I'm sorry if it's not too great. Also as a side note I'm not sure how long this story is going to be, maybe just a few chapters. It's definitely not going to be really long... I'm pretty sure anyway. That being said I was thoroughly crushed no one left me any reviews, crushed I tell you. Sure people updated me (is that the right word? Anyway) or are following which is cool and all, but come on! Throw me a review bone for this next chapter 'kay? You might even get a cookie out of it! With that being said, ON TO THE STORY, MY LOYAL READERS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Once Upon a Time, not even the DVDs but hopefully soon I will. Kitsis and Horowitz (too lazy to see if that is how you spell their names) and ABC own this amazing television series

Belle found herself surrounded by darkness, nothingness surrounding her. "Hello," she called out, but there was only silence. Before Belle had time to investigate the darkness, voices began to filter in, angry voices by the sound of them. "Villain!" One voice shouted, hitting Belle like a blow, knocking her off balance. "You killed him, didn't you?" another shouted. "We don't want you here!" Voices upon voices started to hit her like a wave, Belle falling to her knees as they all hit her, her head pounding and body aching.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" Belle shouted into the torrent of insults and curses. "That's right, call to your _master_," a voice sneered at her, Belle shivering at the hate it possessed. "Make it stop, please make it stop," Belle whispered into the dark to no one in particular. She felt feverish and hurt, the voices seeming to get louder and angrier, the words far crueler than when they had started, melting into one voice.

The voice was a woman's cackling in glee. The laugh was cold and Belle recognized it as the woman's voice she met on the road. The Queen, Rumpelstiltskin had called her. Fear clung to the woman, her body locking up and she could feel herself falling.

The last thing she heard as everything became bright was the one thing she wanted to here. "I'm here, dearie," he whispered to her. "Don't despair, I will find you again."

"Is she all right, sir?" a man's voice entered Belle's mind, but she was too tired and her head hurt too much to open her eyes, scared of what she might find. "Nonsense, she was attacked in the village, how do you think she is?" a deeper, harsher voice boomed towards the other, causing Belle to flinch inwardly. She had had about enough of harsh tones and mean words. Finally giving in, Belle cracked her eyes open and was welcomed with the familiar sight of her bedroom, her last memories before fainting coming back. Escaping her room, the villagers, their words made Belle let out a groan.

The sound didn't go unnoticed and immediately Belle's vision was sliced with light as the curtain around her bed was pushed aside, her father's face entering her vision. The look on his face shook Belle. His face was distraught and pained, his skin turned an ashen grey color. There was also someone else with him, a surly looking guard, glaring daggers in her direction. "Well she seems fine now, _sir_," the guard said, his eyes never leaving her.

"Belle," Maurice murmured, sitting down on her bed. Belle started to push herself up, every muscle in her body ached and her head was pounding. When would she stop waking up somewhere else with everything hurting? "Father," Belle whispered, glad her throat wasn't hurting. A pained smile crossed her father's face. "You're safe now," he told her, reaching out as if to touch her. The strange guard made a coughing sound and Maurice's hand paused, falling back away from Belle.

"Well," he said, standing up and turning away. "Me and Christophe will leave you to rest." Belle just stared at him, confusion clouding her mind. Something was very wrong here, but she had no idea what it could be. "What happened?" Belle called as her father reached the door, her voice strong considering how weak she felt. "The villagers," she continued, gathering strength as she continued. "They kept saying how I killed him. They were so angry. What happened, father? Who is 'him'?" Belle didn't fail to notice how Maurice flinched when she called him father. The guard, Christophe, put his hand on Maurice's shoulder, seeming to share a look with him that Belle couldn't understand.

After a quick silent argument, Maurice brushed Christophe's hand from his shoulder and walked back to Belle. She stood up, her arms folded across her chest. She was tired of not knowing what was going on. She had been weak for far too long and that time was over. She was a strong, capable woman, she faced the great Rumpelstiltskin and survived more or less physically unscathed. She was going to get answers, she was through being the damsel.

"Tell me," she said, jutting her chin out showing bravado she did not feel. Maurice's face crumpled as he fell into a nearby chair, strength seeming to fail him. Christophe stayed near the bedroom, his eyes never leaving the king. "Very well," her father said, his breath ragged as he took a deep breath. "It's Gaston."

When he finished his tale Belle had taken the other chair, her hand on her mouth, too shocked for words. He explained how shortly after she left with Rumpelstiltskin Gaston had went on a quest to bring her back home at whatever cost. Everyone knew where he lived and Gaston had made a vow that he would not return until he could bring her back safe and sound. "We haven't seen him since he left. The village could only assume the worst. You understand how people can talk. They think that you...," at this he petered off, uncertainty flickering across the old king's features.

"They think I had something to do with his disappearance," Belle said flatly, remembering the townspeople's words. Maurice nodded grimly. "But that is completely insane, and not true," Belle said. "I haven't even seen Gaston since I left that night. If he had come I would've known." _Wouldn't I?_ Belle asked herself. "It's just talk, darling. I...don't think you had anything to do with it," he finished quickly, silence enveloping the two. After a second Belle looked up at her father. "They all want me dead." It wasn't a question. They truly believed that she had something to do with Gaston's disappearance, maybe even his death. Her friends, people she spent her entire life sharing smiles and laughs with, despised her.

The thought sent a searing pain through her chest, another thing she was sick of feeling. Maurice didn't look in her eye, his head bowed. "Belle...if you could just...," Maurice let out another sigh, unsure how to continue. Her father's vague spurt of words were starting to infuriate her. "What? What is it," she practically shouted at him, catching herself and him off guard with the sharpness. Christophe stiffened, his hand resting on his sword as if she might do something bad. At the sharpness of her tone Maurice finally met her eyes.

"Look, everyone has already finalized that Gaston must be dead. Now if you could just tell them...that you tried to stop him, that you fought to save Gaston, that you couldn't help him. Maybe then they will come to realize that you are not to blame. The people need a scapegoat, Belle, someone to blame for this tragedy and unfortunately they've chose you. But if you tell them how that monster kept you away from him, that he killed him while you were restrained or unable to help, then things could go back to they were. Please Belle, tell them how Gaston died."

His request hung in the air, Belle unable to hide the surprised expression from her face. Was her father asking her to lie? To call the one person she loved, no matter how much it hurt to do so, a monster and a murdered. It seemed so mad, such an insane request that she couldn't believe it. "You want me to tell everyone that Rumpelstiltskin killed Gaston?" Belle asked, making sure she understood correctly.

Maurice took his daughter's response as a reason to sit up, energy starting to fill him again. "Yes, exactly. We all know he did it anyway, why else would Gaston not have returned home? If you convince the people that you couldn't help him, that Rumpelstiltskin forbid you, or that he chained you up and forced you to watch as he killed your betrothed, they will believe it and your name will be restored. You will be safe again. Isn't that what you want?" Belle stared at him, now not even trying to hide the disgust from her face. "You want me to tell everyone how I watched him _kill_ Gaston? That is disgusting." Belle noticed Maurice's face harden. "If it's for the good of the people Belle I don't understand why you won't agree to it. We all know that that monster would do something as evil as kill the man you love in front of you. All you have to do is say it and they'll believe you."

Belle jumped from her seat, her fists shaking in anger, the words spilling from her mouth before she could stop them. "He's not the monster. _You_ are," she said, her voice shaking in fury. "I know he's always seemed vicious and cruel, but father, he's really very kind and gentle and how dare you suggest me do that to him. I...," her words failed her now, the look on her father's face was far scarier then anything Rumpelstiltskin had done to her.

"If I didn't know better, Belle," Maurice said, his voice dark and heavy, his face dark with anger. "I'd think you have feelings from that beast." His words clung to Belle, causing her to shake. Maurice stared at her, his eyes blazing with anger and something under that. Was that disbelief? Or perhaps it was something sadder. Belle just gave a small nod, hardly any movement at all, but her father saw it, and his face collapsed as if the only thing holding it up was her silence.

"Then we're done," he said curtly. He turned from Belle and began walking towards the door and this time Belle didn't stop him. Christophe glared at her, Belle unsure whether or not his eyes would actually burn into her. Maurice opened up the door and Christophe walked with him, shutting the door with a loud slam.

The noise knocked Belle out of her trance, running towards the door. Putting her ear to the wood, she craned to hear what was going on on the other side. "What would you like us to do with your _daughter_?" Christophe's muffled voice asked, sarcasm dripping with every syllable. There was a pause, and then Maurice spoke so quietly Belle strained to hear. "My daughter is dead, Christophe. This is a tainted, evil thing living in her body." Belle blanched as she heard the words, running them over and over in her head. _My daughter is dead. My daughter is dead. Tainted, evil thing_. The words hit Belle like a blow, causing her to crumple at the bottom of the door, but she could make out the last words before the silence. "Keep the prisoner locked in. If she escapes, kill her."

A/N: Oooh, twisty ending? Did I appease my maybe readers? *ducks behind a bush to avoid the onslaught* Well I hope this was a good welcome back chapter, hope it was long enough and the storyline wasn't too bad. I typed and typed this chapter so much and I just could never get the beginning to where I would have liked but all in all I think it was good. Also, I put two little hidden things in here and if you can guess them in your reviews you're awesome! I'll give you hints: I got the name of the guard from a book series and certain parts of the dialogue between Belle and her father should sound familiar. And with that I wish you guys a goodbye and goodnight and I will probably maybe wrap up this story with the next chapter which I will upload as soon as I write one I am satisfied with. R&R please or I will cry and then flood the world with my epic tears.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Actually got some reviews thank goodness! Well I hope that I continue to get some reviews because personally I am starving for feedback, so if you want to feed a writer's muse then go ahead and review, even if it sucked. I didn't post this as soon as I would have liked but school's rough right now, but to make up for the lateness I made a cover for What Happened to Belle. If you want to know what the text says I'll be glad to PM you. This chapter is kind of short but I hope you like it anyway. And also a shout out to my awesome reviewers!

**Lazey**: Thanks, I appreciate the feedback, glad you like the story even if you don't like Belle. And I know, I love twisty things.

**Grace5231973**: Sorry my hints kind of sucked for the script but some parts of Belle and Maurice talking were actually from the movie Beauty and the Beast. And yes, we will find out exactly what happened with Regina and Maurice!

Now, go forth my readers, and...read and stuff...review too.

Disclaimer: No, okay I didn't go buy the DVDs even though they're on sale now, sad day. Anyway, don't own, but really want to, because if I did, there would be an episode where Jefferson and Gold talk about their madness and about being parents with their children ripped from them. Best. Episode. Ever.

He hadn't wanted to do it. Even now that the sentence was carried out he still could not believe what he himself had said not one week ago. He, King Maurice had called his daughter a monster, said that she was dead. He imprisoned her inside that room, telling guards to kill and ask questions later. The guilt was already seeping into him, but he just couldn't understand it.

Why would she refuse to tell the story of how Gaston died? He thought that she of all people would be the first to condemn that hideous Rumpelstiltskin to the murder of her beloved. Ever since that vile creature had come and whisked her away Maurice had waited for the day he would see his dearly beloved daughter again. Dreamed of holding her in his arms like when she was young and everything would be okay. But everything was not okay, far from it. This is what disturbed him most.

No, he had sentenced her without thinking, hurt and angry at her words. She had never disobeyed him before, never raised her voice at him and it unsettled the king deeply. What had become of his sweet and innocent Belle? The one who would sacrifice herself for the benefit of her whole kingdom. He looked at her now and she seemed...wrong, somehow. A different light shone in her eyes and she held herself up in a different way. What had happened all those months ago? What had Rumpelstiltskin put his poor daughter through?

He had to make things right, ask for her forgiveness. He had no idea what his daughter had been put through, what horrors she must have faced at the hands of _him_. No, he had listened to the rumors of the town, believing that she had ben corrupted, that that man had tainted his daughter. He knew they were wrong, knew that that couldn't happen, not to his daughter, but he had let himself believe and that had made him act foolishly.

He had to figure out why she so blatantly refused, and the worst thing of all he would have to try to understand was...why had she nodded? When he had angrily accused her for having feelings for that beast she nodded, it was too obvious for him not to notice. Why had she done it? Was it true?

Even now Maurice tried to reason that he had not seen right, that perhaps it was a simple tic, a flinch. That's what it was, he decided, trying to feel relieved. He had been looking for a confirmation so intently he had taken a small head movement completely out of proportion.

At this moment his daughter, his Belle, was sitting captive in her room, probably scared and betrayed by her own father. He would fix it though. Yes, he would explain how he had reacted harshly and how he had been wrong, that he had no idea what she had been through in that castle and he understood how anything as horrible as that was bound to change someone.

Yes, he would forgive her and she would forgive him, he would tell the town the story, Belle wouldn't have to lie if she did not see fit, but he would set things right, his daughter would not have to live in fear of something that wasn't her fault.

Smiling as his plan began to form, Maurice stood and raced towards his doors. His plans were interrupted however as soon as he opened the doors. The interruption was in the form of a pal woman, a smirk on her face. "Hello, Your Highness," she said. Maurice glared at the woman, her face famous throughout all the kingdoms. "Hello, Regina."

It had been one week since the villagers had attacked her.

One week since she had heard about Gaston.

One week since her father had locked her in.

One week since he had said his daughter was dead.

One week since he had told the guards to kill her if she escaped.

Belle had been thinking a lot about the past week, wondering once again how quickly her life had spiraled out of control. It seemed just like yesterday she was back in Rumpelstiltskin's castle, waking up in that cell and serving him his breakfast. But no, every time she opened her eyes she was still back here, her bedroom.

Belle noticed the irony in her present prison. This room held so many memories of her childhood, so many happy memories. And now she was stuck here forced to wait and see what her father was going to do to her.

With so much time alone Belle found herself wondering just what her father was going to do. Certainly he wouldn't just leave her here, the monster in his daughter's body. No, he would figure some sort of punishment for whatever it is he thinks she did, and she wasn't sure how much time she had left.

All thoughts of escape were immediately thwarted within the hour of her imprisonment. Too frightened by her father's command she didn't even try to open the bedroom door, and a guard was always posted outside her window, sword looking dangerously sharp. No, something told Belle she wasn't getting out of this. This was it, the final adventure for her. She had survived so much in these last few years. Learning to run a kingdom, the Ogre wars and of course her time with Rumpelstiltskin and that dwarf Dreamy.

Now after all of these things this is where her last stand would be. The bedroom of her childhood. A tear fell from Belle's eye before she could stop it. She quickly rubbed her eyes to prevent any other tears from coming. She would not cry, not so close to her end. She would deal with this like everything else in her life, with her head held high and courage burning inside her.

With this grim determination set into motion Belle heard the sound she had been dreading. The door to her bedroom was opening, Belle standing and facing her father, ready for whatever it is that would happen to her.

A/N: Okayy, very very sucky chapter, I know, believe me, I'm not trying to drag this out, I'm really almost done, but school is just too time consuming right now and between the papers and the projects and the tests I've hardly had time to do much typing so I hope you will forgive my abrupt chapter, I've spent so much time trying to figure out how to do this and what goes where and what will happen so I hope you're not too disappointed. I will try my best this week to update the last chapter (yep, I'm 80% sure it's over!) but I do not know for sure what day I'll post, so keep your eyes peeled. Please, pretty please review you guys, tell me how bad the chapter was so I know to do better. Wow, the author's note is almost as long as the actual chapter. Anyway, thanks and I'm sorry.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Okay my lovelies, who's ready for the last installment of the ever awesome MTMTE fanfic! I know, it's over and I'm so excited. So, hope you enjoyed the last chapter, again the abruptness and lack of anything actually happening sucked but oh well, what can you do? I tried to make this one more actioney, more dialogue, some Regina banter which is always fun and a horrible lie will lead to Belle's inevitable imprisonment. Hopefully this one will be better then the last, hope you enjoy guys!

**Lazey**: Yeah, I couldn't think of much for the chapter, I was kind of in a rush to update. Hope the final chapter is good enough though.

Grace5231973**: **Yeah, I kind of portrayed Maurice as pretty thick huh?

**OUaT Obsessed**: Thank you so much for the awesome reviews! They mean a lot to have someone new reviewing and reading my story. Hope you enjoy this last chapter!

Disclaimer: Okay, I have had friends tell me how awesome the commentaries are on the DVDs and I officially hate them for it. That being sad I do not own anything even remotely involving Once Upon a Time, those belong to the respected writers creators and all that jazz.

"Hello, Maurice," Regina said, strolling passed the king and slinking into a nearby chair, her familiar smirk on her face. Maurice quickly shut the door, locking it to prevent any eavesdroppers.

"What do you want, Regina, I have a bit of a...situation on my hands," he said carefully, looking warily at the Evil Queen. To that comment her smile grew wider, unsettling the man. This was the last thing he needed to deal with right now.

"Yes, I heard about your little 'situation,'" Regina said, crossing her legs and looking at Maurice. He never moved from his spot near the door, ready at any second to quickly usher her out. This just amused her even more. Maurice was quite sure that if Regina had heard about what happened with his daughter this meeting was not going to end well. At all.

Letting out a deep sigh, Maurice folded his arms across his chest, the past weeks finally taking a toll on him. "Either tell me why I'm worthy of such a visit or get out, Regina. As I said," he said with a sneer, not even attempting to play nice, "I'm a little busy."

Regina's smile face fell, all business. "Come now, Maurice do you honestly believe I would come here without a reason? I feel insulted. Very well, since you must know I came to question what you are going to do with your troublesome daughter. After all, a kingdom with an unruly ruler cannot be expected to be ruled."

Maurice stared at her, unsure of how to go on. Of course, what other reason would she be here unless it had to do with Belle. But Maurice couldn't help feeling a little offended by Regina's words. "I believe this matter is none of your concern, Regina. I am fully capable of working this out without your help." Regina simpered. Maurice balled his hands into fists, his anger once more getting the better of him.

"Oh, I'm sure you would be...under normal circumstances. This however is not a normal rogue warlock or a con selling artifacts that are cursed. This involves your daughter and it involves _him_. Whether you like it or not I'm stepping in."

"I can handle my daughter just fine!" Maurice raged, anger seethed through the man.

"Do you want to know what your precious kingdom thinks about how you're 'handling' her?" Regina asked, her voice matching his in volume. "They call you crazy and old. Crazy old Maurice, keeping his daughter prisoner in her comfy palace bed while others who have done far less are in dungeons. You need me, Maurice. If you don't let me take care of this, I will do it by force.

Maurice just glared at her, controlling his anger before saying anything too rash. He was all to aware of Regina's reputation, if he didn't keep his temper he could very well be trapped forever in a horrible nightmare and his kingdom would never get better.

As much as he hated it, he knew Regina was right, he did need help. He wasn't going to be willing about it though. "Fine," he sighed, relaxing his body unaware it had been as taut as a band. Regina smiled, her mood happier then before.

"Good. Now, tell me everything. I need to know everything." Maurice sagged, falling into a chair next to the witch. Taking a deep breath, he began. "It started during the Ogre Wars."

Maurice told her everything, from that horrible winter night to what he had said last night.

He hand't wanted to tell her about it, but after starting it was hard to stop. He needed to tell someone about it, needed someone to help him, reassure him that he was indeed wrong and have a miraculous answer to his problems. He knew Regina and knew what she could do. Aside from Rumpelstiltskin, if anyone knew how to fix this, she was it.

When he was done he waited to gauge her reaction. Regina had stayed stoic throughout the whole telling, but now that he was done a grim expression came across her face. Sitting up straighter, the Evil Queen looked Maurice dead in the face.

"Your daughter is in love with Rumpelstiltskin." It wasn't a question and Maurice blanched at the outrageous accusation, his fears finally being spoken aloud.

He shook his head, trying to shake away the thing that scared him more than anything. "Like I said, I _think_ I saw her nod. It could have been anything, a slight head twitch, or a-," Maurice continued but Regina held up a hand.

"And like I said, Maurice, your daughter loves Rumpelstiltskin. There's no way you could have prevented it, you couldn't protect her after you sacrificed her to him, she was no longer your responsibility. I have heard things amongst the evil creatures that live here, fear in their voices. Do you want to know what they were saying?"

Maurice just stared at her, his face full of disbelief. This couldn't be happening, she was lying, Belle couldn't of...wouldn't...but a small part of him knew that he was the one lying to himself.

The way she talked about him, when she called out his name when she had fainted, all the rumors from the kingdom they were true and he needed to know.

Maurice grimly nodded, his face ashen and his whole body feeling sick as he was finally brought into reality.

Regina nodded at his compliance, her face grimmer than before. "Well, I really shouldn't say this, but you need to know. She's your daughter and even though she has feelings for him, your still by definition her father. You need to know."

"Well then, get on with it," Maurice said hoarsely, his whole face slack with a look of painful grief.

Regina glared at him, but sat up straighter and rearranged her dress, looking a little uncertain. This was a first. "Very well. The whispers I have heard over the past month have been about your daughter. They whispered about how a young woman was living in the Dark One's castle, how she took care of his dwellings. Then they began to whisper things about them, how she wanted to stay with the Dark One, wanted to be with him forever. And now recently they have told me the news that she has..."

Regina looked at Maurice, unsure of how to continue. Maurice felt wretched, his whole life was ripped away from him. His daughter was in love with a monster, and now something else was going on. "What aren't you telling me?" he growled, his voice gravelly.

Regina just gave him a look of sympathy, a definite sign that something was definitely wrong. "Your daughter is bearing Rumpelstiltskin's child."

A loud noise came from the other side of the study's room. Maurice jumped, his face turned from sickly grey to deep red, his voice failing him. Standing up, he jerked the door open, seeing someone turning a corner and disappearing.

"Oh my," Regina said, a small smile on her face. "I seems we've had a little spy."

Belle blinked, surprised at what she saw. It wasn't her father who was in the doorway, but Christophe. His eyes were as steely as she remembered, and those unnerved her.

She was also wondering where her father was. Christophe wouldn't come into her room without her father with a sentence in tow. Unless...unless he wouldn't even want to be in her presence anymore, the monster that destroyed his daughter. The thought once again saddened Belle, but she had more important things to worry about.

"What is it?" she asked, thanking the gods her voice was a lot stronger then she felt. Christophe wasn't very large, but she knew the rigorous training the kingdom's guards underwent and knew if he attacked her she would be helpless.

Christophe just glared at her, a sneer forming on his lips. "Gaston was a friend of mine, he was in training camp with me." His voice was surprisingly deep, his lean frame giving the allusion of a higher pitch. Belle was take aback by his words.

"Wha-what?" she spluttered. Christophe made a step toward her, which Belle countered by taking a step back. His tone was more menacing as he said, "He was the best hunter and friend anyone could have. And you let that animal kill him."

Belle began to piece the scene together. She had been right to be paranoid. Her father wasn't coming and no one was going to help her. She was the monster in the kingdom's eyes, and whatever Christophe was thinking of doing to her would be considered justice. Still, she couldn't help the words that spilled out of her mouth.

"He is not a monster!" Belle cried, her loud voice taking her by surprise. She pressed on anyway. "He is a man just like anyone else. He had dreams, a family but he was cursed. If you knew him as more than the Dark One you would see he was actually a kind person. Rumpelstiltskin is a tortured soul, someone that needs help. Why can't anyone see that? He has a bigger heart than Gaston ever did!"

She didn't mean the last part, and she knew that she had said the wrong thing. Christophe's eyes blazed and he ran at her, tackling her and pinning her to the ground. Belle let out a shout as her head hit the stone floor, momentarily dazed.

"Is that what you think, witch?" Christophe spat at her, grabbing her by the hair and bringing her face up to his. "Is that why you did it? He had a family before and you just thought you could create a new one for him? Create an army of Dark One's? You didn't deserve Gaston and because of you he is dead. And now," Christophe said, jerking Belle upward, pinning her to the wall.

Belle was genuinely terrified at the manic look on Christophe's face. He had gone mad, spouting of something strange and scary, something Belle didn't understand. She looked down at his free hand as he pulled a dagger from his belt.

"You will pay," he said, his voice quiet and hard. He pulled the knife up.

"No," Belle couldn't help the word escaping her. She tried to jerk forward, to kick, to flail, but it was no use. He had her and he wasn't going to let go. She closed her eyes as she saw him swing the knife down, expecting pain to blossom around her.. Nothing happened, however and when Belle opened her eyes she saw Christophe on the ground, unconscious by the looks of it.

Belle jerked her head up to see the last person she expected to see. "You," Belle growled, pushing away from the wall and glaring at the woman she had met on the road a lifetime ago.

The woman gave a smirk, her dark red lips curled cruelly in a smirk. "Missed me?"

Belle screamed, running at the woman, her hands outstretched to grab the woman. "Uh, uh, uh," she said and in an instant Belle was blasted away, her head smacking once more onto the hard stone floor, stars popping into her vision.

"What the-," Maurice shouted, bounding into the room and looking around. Belle was on the ground and Christophe was laying unconscious, Regina standing as prim and proper as ever.

"I believe your guard was trying to fix the problem himself. Luckily, I came and stopped before he did something you might have regretted. Now," she said, gliding towards Belle, her tone serious. "What do we do with the child?"

Maurice's fists tightened, his face angry and scared at the same time. "We-we can't keep her here. She...she really isn't my daughter." He looked down at her, the face so familiar and at the same time so different, so twisted. She looked at him, tears forming in her eyes. "Kill her," he said softly, turning his back away from the two women.

Belle gasped, her hand reaching to her mouth in amazement. Her father meant it, every word from the beginning. For some reason he thought she was a monster, something that needed to be destroyed.

Regina laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "Done," she said, walking up to Maurice and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'll take her back to my castle, do the job away from your beloved kingdom. Tell them Christophe killed her and you burned the body, sick of the sight of her. You will never have to worry about her again. I promise."

The silence was still for a moment, but after a moment Maurice nodded. "Get it out of my sight and out of my kingdom," he said, leaving the room and out of sight. Belle looked at the empty door, pain far worse than Christophe's blade could have made.

She had no one and nothing and it was all this woman's fault.

"Why?" Belle asked, moving towards the woman. She turned towards Belle, a smile on her face. "What do you mean? Oh, and I forgot, I never fully introduced myself. My name is Regina."

"You just love that don't you? Toying with people, hurting them and emptying them until there's nothing left. Even now, as you set yourself to kill me, you give me your name. I ask again, why? What happened to you to make you so cold, so cruel to everyone around you?"

Regina's face hardened, her eyes seeming to look somewhere far away. After a second she shook her head and shifted herself. "Perhaps you'll learn that little secret in the years to come." Moving her arms around, black smoke began to billow around the two until a dingy castle dungeon came into view. Belle looked around, a bit bewildered at the new scene and at what she had said. "You're not going to kill me?" she asked, her eyebrows knit in confusion. Regina laughed from the other side of the cell, the bars casting eery shadows around her face. "My dear child, of course not. You are what I've been looking for. You're my key to bringing down the great Rumpelstiltskin. Oh don't look so surprised," she said, noting Belle's opened mouth. "Yes, even though my plan didn't quite work out the way I'd hoped, you may still prove useful another day." Belle ran to the bars, yelling as Regina retreated away from the cage, a victorious smile plastered on her face.

A/N: Dun, dun, dun! The end! Hope there was enough action and drama in this to make up for the last chapter. And there you go, my interpretation (more or less) about what happened to Belle! I enjoyed writing this so much and I hope you guys liked reading it. So, review and tell me what you thought. Was it great? Was it crap? What part did you love, what did you hate? Please guys, I really want to know! Thanks so much to my reviewers, **OUaT Obsessed**, **Lazey,** and** Grace5231973 **for your awesome reviews, they meant a lot. So please, review you guys, I'm dying to know what you thought of it. And as a last note, if you are reading this and know how to get into communities or forums or things like that, please PM because I sadly cannot comprehend how to do that. Thanks!


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